2018 marks 11 years since the death knell was sounded for the popular American Adventure theme park - and it is still remembered with great affection.

So much so that a petition organised by Hartshorne man Declan Salmon, calling for American Adventure to be reopened and signed by more than 10,000 people, was recently handed in to Amber Valley Borough Council.

The park, which was located near Shipley, had a number of large white-knuckle attractions for many years but, in 2005, it was re-themed as a "family" park aimed at the under-14s market.

Old footage of American Adventure filmed by Dan Farrell, from CoasterForce - a large, free-to-join, unbiased and independent theme park and roller coaster enthusiast community - provoked a great reaction when we published it so we thought we ask how many of these things you recall about the theme park:

1) Remember the big wheel?

You always got a good view from the big wheel (Image: Derby Telegraph)

The big wheel - where the carriages looked like old-fashioned wagons from the Wild West. It was a great way to get a good view of the park. Derbyshire County Council purchased the site in 1986 and sold it to a company called Granada who, in June 1987, opened American Adventure, heralded as Britain's Major New Theme Park.

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2) The Buffalo Ride

The Buffalo Ride was actually quite fast (Image: Derby Telegraph)

The Buffalo Stampede Ride - once it got going - went very fast. This was a firm, family-friendly rollercoaster which may have felt a bit rickety at times but it certainly built up enough speed to earn some screams and gasps from those travelling on the ride - which had a buffalo's face on the front.

3) Cuddly prizes

An example of one of the cuddly toys you could win at American Adventure (Image: Derby Telegraph)

Did you win one of the big cuddly toys? There were always a number of opportunities to win these rather large cuddly animals - which were a winner with the children but maybe not so much with the parents (particularly if they had to carry them around all day!). It was always best to win a toy near the end of the day and then worry about how you could fit it in the car.

4) Lazy Lil's

The showgirls from Lazy Lil's saloon (Image: Derby Telegraph)

Lazy Lil's saloon featured the shoot-outs and the showgirls. The girls would sing country classics and dance to entertain the crowds in the saloon bar. In the good old days, you would be able to enjoy a cowboy-style shoot-out as actors on horseback galloped around in front of a backdrop of Wild West style saloons. Yee ha!

5) The Log Flume

The Log Flume caused a bit of a splash (Image: Derby Telegraph)

Did you go on the Log Flume? It had the biggest drop of any in the country - and it got you wet, wet, wet. It was a bit of a squeeze for adults sitting on the ride - and wearing a raincoat was advisable. The big drop at the end caused many screams and it was also where the camera was there to capture those horrified faces!

6) The Rocky Mountain Rapids

You might have been left high but you certainly weren't left dry on the Rocky Mountain Rapids! (Image: Derby Telegraph)

Did you get splashed on those water rapids? Visitors would be seated in a large circular boat which would spin round as it cascaded through the water with some sharp drops. Again, it was wise to wear waterproof clothing unless it was a hot day, when the splashing water would cool you down.

7) The Runaway Train

Pictured is the Runaway Train at American Adventure (Image: Derby Telegraph)

It was wise not to eat before going on The Runaway Train. This amazing rollercoaster, which looked like a Wild West train, was fun and fast.

It was bought from the site in 2009 by the Mellors Group and has been rebuilt and is now a mobile ride which can be hired out to events. It is now the largest mobile ride ever built in the United Kingdom.

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8) The Missile

The Missile was once highly rated (Image: Derby Telegraph)

It may have broken down a lot but it was one of the best rides. Amazingly, 20 years after setting foot on the moon, Buzz Aldrin touched down at Shipley to launch the American Adventure's Missile rollercoaster.

He took a giant step to officially open the white-knuckle rollercoaster ride, which was rated by thrill-seekers as the best in Britain.

9) The train around the lake

The Santa Fe Railroad train went around the lake (Image: Derby Telegraph)

It was the "Santa Fe Railroad" which used to go around the lake at the theme park. It was a great way to see all the rides and entertainment on offer, especially if your legs got weary. For that reason, it was very popular with families, especially those with younger children.

10) The pygmy goats

Awww! The pygmy goats at American Adventure were cute! (Image: Derby Telegraph)

All the youngsters loved the pygmy goats which were kept on the site. These goats were miniatures, genetically dwarfed and kept mainly for enjoyment, interest and companionship.

They are intelligent animals and like human company, so were much-loved by theme park visitors.

11) The Jailhouse

Do not pass go, do not collect £200 at the Jailhouse (Image: Derby Telegraph)

Did you get locked in The Jailhouse? If you were bad, you could get end up behind bars at The Amercian Adventure Jailhouse.

For that reason, it was always advisable to be on your best behaviour - or at least that's what many parents could tell their children to get them to be good.

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12) The Flying Island

Boyzone were, and still remain, a very popular act (Image: Derby Telegraph)

Were you there when Boyzone launched the new ride The Flying Island?

Pop heart-throbs Ronan, Mikey, Keith, Shane and Stephen were the first to go on The Flying Island which was an enormous new £2 million ride that lifted over 100 people up to 200ft into the air.

It was a new attraction which formed part of a £5 million investment at the park.

Thousands of screaming fans watched as the band enjoyed a go on the ride with members of the press.

13) The Balloon Ride

The Balloon Ride was a more gentle offering (Image: Derby Telegraph)

Did you go up, up and away on the Balloon Ride? This was one of the more relaxing rides and you were made to feel like you were enjoying a hot-air balloon journey as you travelled round and round.

It was a colourful creation and certainly more relaxing than some of the white-knuckle rollercoasters the park was known for.

14) The Ejector Seat

The Ejector Seat opened in 2001 (Image: Derby Telegraph)

This would send you 0-60mph in one second with a return to earth at 100mph. The ride opened in 2001 and was certainly a hair-raiser which would attract plenty of screams - as the person brave enough to go on it was flung through the air at speed.

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15) Horse riding shows

Pictured is one of the horse riding shows at American Adventure (Image: Derby Telegraph)

Yee ha - what about those horse riding shows with lasso display? The cowboys would whip the crowds into a frenzy while showing off their skills. Hollywood stuntman Gerard Naprous - who also played Sean Connery's double - even showed off his horse skills once at the theme park.

16) The Skycoaster

Pictured is the Skycoaster at American Adventure (Image: Derby Telegraph)

A must for thrill-seekers, the SkyCoaster was a 200ft-tall rollercoaster ride without tracks and cost £1.7 million.

The SkyCoaster was the largest ride of its type in the world outside the United States and would propel three thrill-seekers at speeds of up to 80mph just a few feet from the ground, before taking them skyward at a rate of ascent comparable to a jet fighter.

SkyCoaster passengers used a specially-designed harness gondola attached to stainless steel flight lines which were designed to aerospace standards. The gondola was positioned in a specially-designed launch pad, before being jettisoned forward - reaching 80-100 mph in just a few seconds.

17) Aztec Kingdown

They're watching you... (Image: Derby Telegraph)

Remember the faces in the rock which greeted you at Aztec Kingdom? They all looked a bit serious - and these were some of the items which were sold off at auction following the closure of the theme park.

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